How often does a little sister discover her passion in life just by following in her older sister’s footsteps? Though we often see a similarity of interests between siblings, a difference in dedication eventually emerges from that. After years of following in her sister’s footsteps, Jamie Webb has chosen her own path, and a pretty successful one at that.

Webb, a senior captain and four year varsity player for the North Penn girls soccer team discovered her love for soccer just by copying what her older sister did. This was no ordinary copycat act though, because as it turned out, Webb just so happened to find the thing that has guided her through life, and given her many opportunities for the future. Part of that future is now the opportunity to play collegiate soccer at Thomas Jefferson University.

“I first started playing soccer because my sister played, and I wanted to be like my sister. I just fell in love with it and like it better than [other sports],” Webb stated.

Learning the game also teaches athletes what works for them positionally. For Webb, there was really no conflict of interest when it came to choosing what position was for her.

“I think I always played defense, and I realized that was more fun than scoring goals for me. I didn’t feel like I needed to score to enjoy the game…I felt like it was more fun chasing people down than scoring,” Webb explained.

Having two sides of your life in being a student-athlete is extremely difficult to manage at times. With Webb’s tough commitment to her high school team, she finds any way possible to stay on top of her schoolwork, so she can also be successful on the playing field.

“High school soccer is a lot harder to manage than club because you’re just always there. We all do our homework together before games, like if it’s a night game, we’re all out watching the JV game and doing our homework, so there’s always time to get it done,” Webb said.

In the Spring, as Webb goes through a slight transition into her club routine (such as 8 to 10 pm practices) her sleep schedule takes a bit of a turn, but the major benefit of this change is that she thrives academically.

“Club is a lot easier to manage because I come home, I get all my work done, and then I don’t have to go until like 8 o’clock. It’s harder on my sleep schedule and it’s freezing out though,” Webb explained. “When I come home [from school] and I have practice that day, I have to get all of my work done because if I come home at 10:30 I’m not gonna do it.”

Webb has an impressive soccer background, one that includes being a 4-year varsity player, but it was not always an easy road. As a freshman, it could be a little intimidating playing with much older girls, but having the right people to help you through it can ease the worry enough to play your game.

“[Freshman year] it was only me and another freshman on varsity. The older girls were really welcoming so it wasn’t too nerve wracking, but I guess stepping on the field and playing would be terrifying. Once you get the first play under it is like any other game. The older girls really helped me. They made me feel like myself… I wasn’t just a freshman,” Webb described.

As Webb’s high school career developed, so did her status on the team. However, this came after overcoming other obstacles like playing time, especially in the younger years.

“I went from coming off the bench freshman year to starting sophomore year, and that really helped boost my confidence because it showed me that I belong there,” Webb said.

Not only did Webb become a starter as an underclassmen, but junior year brought new roles into her experience with NPGS. Becoming a captain that young took some getting used to, but time and experience played a big role in making Webb the successful captain that she is.

“Watching the other captains, I really learned how to be one… [Being a captain] definitely taught me how to be a leader, especially last year it was hard; nobody wants to listen to somebody that’s younger than them, especially the seniors. Having two other captains with me was really helpful. I learned it’s not telling people what to do, but helping them get through difficult times,” Webb elaborated.

Soccer is not the only thing that Webb picked up from her sister. She tried out high school track and field, before realizing that she was better off doing something she actually felt passionate about.

“My sister ran track and she was really good, so I felt like I had to. The coaches were really strict on me hitting the same times as my sister, which, I am not my sister, so that really made me choose soccer. It was my own thing, I wasn’t in my sister’s shadow,” Webb stated.

After determining that soccer was what she wanted to pursue going forward, Webb began the recruiting process at a young age. Not long after that, she got in contact with Thomas Jefferson University; the school she is now committed to.

“I guess I started around eighth grade, just going to camps and reaching out to coaches for showcases. I started talking to Jefferson around my freshman and sophomore year, so it was two years I was talking to them… I went to a camp in the summer, and a camp in the winter, and they really liked me so I went on a visit. I went back for another camp and after that camp I got my offer,” Webb described.

Having a talent level as high as Webb’s definitely increases the interest in recruiting her. Though she had a variety of choices, Jefferson had all the right aspects to fit her just right.

“[Jefferson] had the major that I wanted, and I really liked the coaches. They’re fun and I got to know them really well. I like that it’s close because I want my parents to be able to watch my games,” Webb said.

Reaching the goal of playing a college sport does not come easy. There were some adjustments that needed to be made on a team level to ensure that the recruiting process worked in Webb’s favor. Now that she’s committed, these adjustments will prepare her for the next level.

“It definitely made trainings a lot harder, especially for club, because everyone on my team is trying to commit somewhere, so practices are really hard. Half of my team is already committed to division 1 and division 2 schools, so practices are going to be tough. We focus on fitness a lot, so basically just running and private training on my own,” Webb explained.

Webb plans to go on and study nursing at Jefferson, which isn’t an easy thing to manage. However, she already has a basis for a plan to make sure she can be not only successful on the field, but in the classroom as well.

“A lot of the girls on the team are nursing or medical majors so they make mandatory study time which will be really helpful…just always getting my work done before practice, so I can really focus on soccer when all my school work is done,” Webb said.

Before she reaches college, though, Webb has to finish her final high school soccer season. Though NPGS has gotten off to a rocky start, they are working to finish out the season strong.

“It’s definitely hard… We just need to win now. We’re so tired of losing that we just give everything on the field,” Webb stated.

Through Webb’s impactful soccer career at North Penn, alongside her experience with club soccer, she is set up for a bright future at Jefferson University beginning next Fall.